"You, too." He pushed her glasses to the top of her head and framed her face in both hands. "But I recognize you. I'd recognize you anywhere."
"Same here."
He looked into her adorable face. How he loved doing that. "I'm not leaving Middlesex."
"What?" She backed out of his arms. "Charlie!"
"I'm staying. And I can get the money to pay my worthless cousin's debt, so I don't want you turning over a dime of your money from the hovercraft. And that's all there is to it. Come over here and kiss me. I really need a kiss right now."
She stayed where she was. "Are you staying in Middlesex because of me?"
"Umm, sort of."
"That's dumb. You'd be miserable."
He shook his head. "Not with you around. When we lifted off in the hovercraft, it hit me. This is all I need, to be with you. Everything I needed was inside that hovercraft."
"Isn't that interesting?" She began to smile, and her lips were a deep shade of purplish-blue. "I had the same thought."
He wanted to kiss her so much he had trouble absorbing what she'd said. "What do you mean?"
"When we were both in that hovercraft, I realized all I wanted in the world was right there with me."
"No, that's not right. You love this little town. You want to make your home here, and I want to help you do that. We'll buy Ed and Darrell's Christmas tree farm and put a house there. We'll put a pool table in the basement. We'll—"
"Charlie, you're not listening."
He had to admit he had a tough time listening when he wanted to kiss the breath out of her. "Eve, we'll stay here and raise a family. You needed a home base, and this is it."
"I thought I needed to live here, but I figured out that all I really need is a place to come home to."
He tried to understand. He really did. But he wasn't getting it. "I'm confused."
"So was I, until we took off in the hovercraft. I loved flying away with you, knowing we'd come back. It doesn't matter if we take off for Vegas, or anywhere you want to explore. We'll come back here for visits to see your mom and Myrtle. We'll stop at Hot Buns and the Rack and Balls. We'll bring the kids, although we'll have a little explaining to do about grandma's pastries."
"Eve, I—"
"Don't you get it? We'll have a place we both know and love, a place to come home to."
"Oh." He was beginning to see, and the possibilities glittered in his mind.
"You always had that, which was why you wanted to leave. I didn't have that before, but I do, now. We'll get married here, of course, but then we'll leave, knowing Middlesex is here when we need a hometown fix."
"Oh, God. Are you sure?" He was afraid he'd misunderstood, and he really wanted to make sure that they had this straight. "You'll go with me to Hoover Dam?"
"I'll go with you to the moon." She stepped closer.
"Space travel's still too experimental. I have no plans to do that."
"Oh, no?" She moved in close and ran a finger up and down the buttons of his shirt. "I was thinking if we went back to your apartment, we could get to the moon in no time at all."
With a moan of happiness, he gathered her close. "I love you."
"That's convenient." She wound her arms around his neck. "Because I love you, too. What do you say we get out of here and run our equipment through another testing session?"
Just the suggestion of that was all he needed to fire up his intruding device. "We have a small problem. My bike is stuck in the roof of your car."
"I've already discussed that with Denise. Typical for my sister, she has it all figured out. Rick's staying here with Eunice. Manny and Denise are dropping Kyle off at your mom's house on their way to a little B and B Denise knows about. Which leaves Denise's car conveniently for us."
"I'm growing fonder of your sister by the minute."
"She likes you better too now that you don't consider her a criminal."
"I'll try to make that up to her."
She stroked his cheek. "Just think, you'll have years to do that."
"Years. I like the way that sounds."
"Me, too. And it starts now. Ready to leave?" She glanced at the eyebolts in the wall. "Unless you think we should-—"
"Who needs that?" He let himself taste her lips, just a little. "I'm going to build us a trapezium-shaped bed. With big bedposts."
"Tonight?"
"Soon." Releasing her, he took her by the hand and led her to the door. "In the meantime ... we have chaps."
Where Are They Now?
Four years later
Eve Dupree Shepherd is a multimillionaire as a result of her many inventions, including the now-famous Skimmer hovercraft and the more recent Rocket Girl personal propulsion system. She is the spokesperson for her inventions, which are marketed through Techno-Thrills, a New York-based company. Eve's also polishing her pool game and plans to try the professional circuit in the next six months.
Charlie Shepherd is a systems consultant for many large hydroelectric plants in the western U.S. His expertise also is solicited by new hydroelectric installations in developing nations all over the world. Charlie and Eve return to Middlesex every April to celebrate their wedding anniversary and every December for little Rosie's birthday. Rosie was Eve's special Christmas present to Charlie nine months after they said I do."
Rosie Myrtle Shepherd, age three, is an experienced traveler who already speaks several languages and has constructed a working Skimmer for her Barbie.
Denise Dupree Flores divides her time between her classes at Yale and her numerous Hot Bun franchises, which she co-owns with her husband, Manny Flores. Their twins, Kyle and Kyla, age three, are already working simple algebraic formulas which astound their nanny and namesake, Kyle Harrington.
Rose Shepherd and Myrtle Bannister have turned the Hot Buns operation over to Denise and Manny Flores so that they can concentrate on their new venture, Naughty Knits. Business is booming. Myrtle has given up smoking. Again. Rose recently turned down an offer of marriage from Galloping Gus Tedder, appliance repairman. But Gus is not giving up.
Rick Bannister and Eunice Piven Bannister have opened a glamour photography studio in Middlesex, Connecticut. Business is sporadic, but during lulls Rick and Eunice take remote-control nude photos of themselves in the midst of uninhibited behavior. They've decided against having children, wisely realizing that rugrats would interfere with their spontaneous sexual activities.
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